Football | Nedbank Cup

Maluti FET mutilate Pirates

Orlando Pirates are out the Nedbank Cup after Vodacom League side Maluti FET College embarrassed them 4-1 at Charles Mopeli Stadium in what is arguably the biggest upset in South African Cup football history.

Maluti fully deserved their victory and outplayed the Buccaneers with captain Luckly Baloyi scoring a brace and Mashale Rantabane netting two as well. Oupa Manyisa scored for Pirates.

Given the scoreline this is likely to be labelled as the biggest cup football upset in the country’s history. In the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals in 2011, Baroka FC (also in the third tier at the time), beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1.

What a start for Maluti College who took the lead just under the first minute of the game through captain Lucky Mokoena.

After a defence-splitting pass, which cut open the Bucs defence, Mokoena got to the ball before Senzo Meyiwa who had come a long way out and his shot trickled over the line to give the home side a dream start.

Twelve minutes in and Pirates nearly equalised when Rudolf Bester got into space inside the danger area, but while he got to the ball first his attempt was blocked by the brave Maluti goalkeeper, Mohlolo Khuse, who came out and made himself big.

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Four minutes later Khuse came out bravely to punch away a dangerous cross, which was going to fall onto the head of either one of Bucs’ two players inside the box.

Then the unthinkable happened when Maluti went 2-0 ahead in the 25th minute. A curling free kick played into the danger area found Mashale Rantabane, who left his marker and dived forward to connect with his head, putting the ball into the far corner far away from Meyiwa’s reach.

Four minutes later, the home side were at it again when Lucky Mokoena got onto the end of a cross at the far post and got in a snap shot, but hit the sidenetting, as Maluti kept the pressure on Bucs.

Pirates had a few half chances in the final ten minutes of the game when Collins Mbesuma’s powerful free kick got stuck in the wall, before Oupa Manyisa’s attempt flew over the cross bar.

Pirates made two changes at the halftime break with Takesure Chinyama and Ndumiso Mabena coming on for Mbesuma and Masalesa respectively.

But in the 54th minute Maluti scored again. And again it was their skipper Lucky Baloyi, this time a fantastic headed goal.

When Pirates failed to clear their lines properly, Maluti swung an early ball back into the box and Mokoena rose high and scored with a powerful looping header over Meyiwa.

A minute later there was more drama when Maluti were given a penalty, but somehow Mokoena fluffed his shot, giving Meyiwa an easy save. And it was straight from here that Pirates pulled a goal back.

Happy Jele squared the ball to Manyisa inside the area and after a good turn, the midfielder buried a shot with his left foot.

Pirates came back into the game but Maluti held firm and carried on taking the game to Bucs. And with nine minutes to go, Rantabane got his second and his team’s fourth goal.

A deep corner beat Meyiwa and was headed back across goal from the far post to Rantabane who got in front of his marker and headed in from close range.

Maluti held on for the win and fought hard to keep Pirates from scoring another goal and earned a fully deserved win.